Nine Toyota and Lexus Vehicles at the Top of Their Segments in J.D. Power and Asso...

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TORRANCE, Calif., July 8 -- Toyota and Lexus' dedication to
lasting quality was evident today as the brands had nine cars and trucks
ranked highest in their segments in the J.D. Power and Associates 2003 Vehicle
Dependability Study (VDS). The VDS study tracks the number and type of
problems owners have with their three-year-old vehicles. In all, Toyota and
Lexus won nine awards out of 12 segments, three times more than any other
manufacturer.
Lexus was the top nameplate for the ninth straight year, ever since it was
eligible for inclusion in the study. Also for the ninth consecutive year,
the Lexus LS 400 (predecessor to the LS 430) had the fewest problems per
100 vehicles of any car in the study. Additionally, the RX 300 had the fewest
problems of any truck/sport utility vehicle. The ES 300 also was the
highest-ranked vehicle in its segment.
Toyota was the highest-ranked volume brand and six of its vehicles ranked
highest in their segments: Corolla, Avalon, MR2 Spyder, Tacoma pick-up truck,
RAV4 and 4Runner.
Five of the top-10 ranked cars in the study are Toyota and Lexus models.
Additionally, 5 of the top-10 ranked trucks are Toyota and Lexus models.
"At Toyota and Lexus our goal is to build quality into our cars, not just
fix problems as they occur," said Robert Waltz, Toyota vice president,
director of operations, customer services group. "Our commitment to long-term
durability is reflected in this J.D. Power survey. Even after three years on
the road, Toyota and Lexus owners are the happiest with the quality of their
cars."
The VDS study finds long-term dependability continues to drive purchase
consideration. Over one-half (52 percent) of new-vehicle buyers indicated
that "long-term dependability" is among their most important purchase decision
factors.



SOURCE Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.